During a study assessing the diversity of the Bacillus pumilus group it became apparent that the type strains of both Bacillus aerophilus and Bacillus stratosphericus were not available from any established culture collection, nor from the authors who originally described them. Therefore, type strains of these species cannot be included in any further scientific studies. It is therefore proposed that the Judicial Commission of the International Committee of Systematics of Prokaryotes place the names Bacillus aerophilus and Bacillus stratosphericus on the list of rejected names, if suitable replacements for the type strains are not found or if neotype strains are not proposed within two years following the publication of this Request for an Opinion.

A recent study on members of the genus Actinobaculumrevealed that cultures of the species Actinobaculum massiliense CCUG 47753T ( = DSM 19118T) currently being distributed do not conform to the properties of the type strain of A. massiliense CIP 107404T given by Greub & Raoult [Greub, G. & Raoult, D. (2002). J Clin Microbiol 40, 3938–3941]. The original strain, CIP 107404T is no longer available from the Biological Resource Center of Institut Pasteur, Paris. Based on data currently available, the organism currently deposited as CCUG 47753T and DSM 19118T is a member of the species Actinobaculum schaalii. Clearly, the organism deposited as CCUG 47753T and DSM 19118T as the type strain of the species Actinobaculum massiliense does not have the properties given by Greub & Raoult. Based on the absence of an authentic type strain, the Judicial Commission is requested to examine the status of the name Actinobaculum massiliense Greub and Raoult 2006 and to issue an Opinion.